In addition to all of the damage and disruption wrought by Hurricane Hermine, last Friday’s high school football slate, including Chiefland’s season opener, was also dampened, as county games were cancelled.

Aaron Richardson’s Indians are now in the unusual position of playing their opener in the third week of the season – following a bye in the first week due to a cancellation over the summer – as they take the field at C. Doyle McCall Field at Wayne Pridgeon Stadium this Friday against Arlington Country Day of Jacksonville.

Levy County Emergency Management has been gathering reports of storm damage on their hotline 352-486-5155 that will help in obtaining Federal Emergency Management Administration aid for Levy County residents impacted by the storm.

David Peaton, assistant director of Levy Emergency Management, said the County Building Department Director Bill Hammond also had teams out assessing the damage throughout the county.

There were no human casualties, but a 104-inch long pygmy sperm whale did wash up on Airport Road in Cedar Key, Police Chief Virgil Sandlin confirmed. He said it was dead on arrival.

The whale was taken away by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers for an autopsy.

The only other reported casualty was an injury to a Florida Highway Patrol trooper who was helping with tree removal operations along State Road 121 and County Road 326. Her injury was not life threatening.

The first order of actual business for the Levy County Commission on Tuesday was ratifying the declaration of an emergency that was signed on Wednesday, Aug. 31, by County Commission Chair John Meeks. It was unanimously ratified by the commission.

Then the board went on to approve hearing a non-agenda item on extending the order another seven days. When asked why it was not being extended a full 14 days, County Attorney Anne Bast Brown said that is the limit by the state.

The Levy County Commission will hold its TRIM — Truth in Millage — public hearing on Thursday, Sept. 8 ay 6 p.m. in the County Commission Meeting Room. This is the final meeting for setting the property tax millage for the coming year. The millage has tentatively been set at 9 mills, It is currently 8.2741 mills. This is a public hearing at which the public can comment on the proposed millage and the almost $63 million county budget.